Downtown shop will sell coffee, sandwiches, gifts

A former convenience store on North Chaparral Street downtown is being converted into a coffee, deli and gift shop to be named Caribbean Coffee Co. Renovations began about six weeks ago, with the eatery expected to open by the end of this year.
Photos by Todd Yates/Caller-Times

The Caribbean Coffee Co. will seat about 75 people and employ six to eight people.

CORPUS CHRISTI - A former convenience store at Chaparral Street and Interstate Highway 37 is being converted into a coffee, deli and gift shop.

Caribbean Coffee Co. is expected to open by the end of the year, said Francile Rabalais, president and co-partner of the company. She, along with partners Melissa Steele and Calleen Jacobi, researched the market and determined this would best fit their hope of offering something distinctive in the downtown area.

The 2,200-square-foot building will seat about 75 people and employ six to eight people, Rabalais said. Renovations began about six weeks ago, and she declined to give the cost of the work.

The building used to house a Stripes convenience store, formerly known as Circle K, before it was sold in 2006. Property owner Dan Murphy could not be reached for comment. Murphy also owns Chaparral Street Grill next door.

The Caribbean Coffee Co. will feature kolaches, taquitos, a large variety of hot and iced gourmet coffees, soups, sandwiches, ice cream and fresh bakery items such as muffins and cinnamon rolls, Rabalais said.

"We'll have two bakers preparing everything fresh," she said. "We still are looking at the possible items we might sell at the gift shop. We haven't finished our gift shopping."